Seana McKenna News

Daniel MacIvor's play 'The Best Brothers' quickly became a hit in Canada after its 2012 world premiere at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Merrimack Repertory Theatre will produce its East Coast premiere (and second production ever in the United States) this January, directed by Charles Towers.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2014-15 season with Colm Toibin's fiercely lyrical solo play, Testament. Originally staged at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2011-and retitled for Broadway in 2013 as The Testament of Mary-Testament is an incisive, vivid, and deeply human work that recounts in riveting detail a defiant mother's story of her son, who has been taken from her by men she regards as fanatics. Directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and starring Canadian leading actor, Seana McKenna (last seen in A.C.T.'s production of Napoli!), Testament has been hailed as 'beautiful and daring' by the New York Times and was a 2013 Tony Award nominee for Best New Play. Testament will perform at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco) through November 23, 2014. Press night for Testament will be tonight, November 5, 2014.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2014-15 season with Colm Toibin's fiercely lyrical solo play, Testament. Originally staged at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2011-and retitled for Broadway in 2013 as The Testament of Mary-Testament is an incisive, vivid, and deeply human work that recounts in riveting detail a defiant mother's story of her son, who has been taken from her by men she regards as fanatics. Directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and starring Canadian leading actor, Seana McKenna (last seen in A.C.T.'s production of Napoli!), Testament has been hailed as 'beautiful and daring' by the New York Times and was a 2013 Tony Award nominee for Best New Play. Testament will perform at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco) tonight, October 29-November 23, 2014. Press night for Testament will be today, November 5, 2014. Tickets ($20-$120) are available now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

The Stratford Festival will be creating films of three of this season's Shakespeare productions for international release and broadcast.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) continues its 2014-15 season with Colm Toibin's fiercely lyrical solo play, Testament. Originally staged at the Dublin Theatre Festival in 2011-and retitled for Broadway in 2013 as The Testament of Mary-Testament is an incisive, vivid, and deeply human work that recounts in riveting detail a defiant mother's story of her son, who has been taken from her by men she regards as fanatics. Directed by A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff and starring Canadian leading actor, Seana McKenna (last seen in A.C.T.'s production of Napoli!), Testament has been hailed as 'beautiful and daring' by the New York Times and was a 2013 Tony Award nominee for Best New Play. Testament will perform at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco) October 29-November 23, 2014. Press night for Testament will be on Wednesday, November 5, 2014. Tickets ($20-$120) are available now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

Due to overwhelming advance ticket sales, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) has announced that an extra week of performances will be added to the current schedule of the West Coast premiere of the Signature Theatre production of Old Hats. Originally scheduled to close on Sunday, October 5, tickets are now on-sale through Sunday, October 12. Old Hats will perform at A.C.T.'s Geary Theater (415 Geary Street, San Francisco). Tickets ($20-$120) are on-sale now and may be purchased online at act-sf.org or by calling 415.749.2228.

King John, who reigned as the monarch of England from 1199-1216, was the son of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the father of Henry III. The Shakespearean script concerning his reign is one of the true history plays by the Bard and is one of only two of his plays, the other being 'Richard II,' that are written entirely in script.

Sixteen years after they swept San Francisco Bay Area audiences off their feet with the Tony Award-winning production Fool Moon, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) welcomes back Tony Award winners Bill Irwin and David Shiner in the West Coast premiere of the Signature Theatre production of Old Hats.

Part Waiting For Godot, part Title of Show, with a splash of Twelve Angry Men, WATCHING SEANA McKENNA WATCH PAINT DRY asks the big dramatic questions: what is art? What is life? What is the nexus between them? And what's that woman on stage doing, anyway? Starring eleven real lawyers (and a faux Seana McKenna**), it's a hilarious slice of comedic metatheatre. WATCHING SEANA McKENNA WATCH PAINT DRY plays at the George Ignatieff Theatre as part of the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival. Tickets are available via www.fringetoronto.com, by phone at 416-966-1062 ext. 1, or at the door.

The Stratford Festival will present its 2014 Legacy Award to Martha Henry. Her extraordinary contributions to the Festival and to the performing arts in Canada will be celebrated at a gala at Toronto's Four Seasons Hotel on Monday, September 29.

Part Waiting For Godot, part Title of Show, with a splash of Twelve Angry Men, WATCHING SEANA McKENNA WATCH PAINT DRY asks the big dramatic questions: what is art? What is life? What is the nexus between them? And what's that woman on stage doing, anyway? Starring eleven real lawyers (and a faux Seana McKenna**), it's a hilarious slice of comedic metatheatre. WATCHING SEANA McKENNA WATCH PAINT DRY plays at the George Ignatieff Theatre as part of the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival. Tickets are available via www.fringetoronto.com, by phone at 416-966-1062 ext. 1, or at the door.

MOTHER COURAGE AND HER CHILDREN, Directed by MARTHA HENRY, and set in the 30 years war that ravaged 17th century Europe, is as moving, upsetting, and as politically relevant as ever…which is likely exactly what playwright Bertolt Brecht intended when he initially wrote it as a response to the Second World War.

The Stratford Festival is celebrating the 450th anniversary of the birth of William Shakespeare all season long, with five Shakespeare productions on its stages and a series of more than 20 special events at the Forum.

A.C.T. kicks off its 2014-15 season with the West Coast premiere of the Signature Theatre production of Old Hats (September 10-October 5, 2014), starring Tony Award winners Bill Irwin and David Shiner. Using music, technology, and movement - plus a few other tricks up their sleeves - Old Hats combines the inimitable magic, slapstick and hilarity of Irwin and Shiner into a wild and remarkable outing of theater for generations old and new. Directed by Tina Landau, Old Hats was the recipient of the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience and the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue. Old Hats marks the first collaboration for Irwin and Shiner since the smash Broadway hit Fool Moon, which set A.C.T. box office records during its sold-out 1998 run and their return engagement in 2001. Press night for Old Hats will be on Wednesday, September 17, 2014.

The Nominating Committee of the Independent Reviewers of New England has just announced nominees for the 2014 IRNE Awards. The Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE) Awards, founded by Beverly Creasey of the Journal Newspapers and Larry Stark of TheaterMirror in 1997, recognize the extraordinary wealth of talent in the Boston theatre community.

To celebrate their current Neapolitan comedy Napoli!, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announced today a partnership with Union Square's Kuleto's Restaurant and Nespresso Boutique & Bar.

16 years after they swept San Francisco Bay Area audiences off their feet with the Tony Award-winning production Fool Moon, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) welcomes back Tony Award winners Bill Irwin and David Shiner in the West Coast premiere of the Signature Theatre production of Old Hats. Using music, technology and movement - plus a few other tricks up their sleeves - Old Hats combines the inimitable magic, slapstick and hilarity of Irwin and Shiner into a wild and remarkable outing of theatre for generations old and new. Directed by Tina Landau, Old Hats was the recipient of the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Alternative Theatrical Experience and the 2013 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Revue. Old Hats marks the first collaboration for Irwin and Shiner since the smash Broadway hit Fool Moon, which set A.C.T. box office records during its sold-out 1998 run and their return engagement in 2001. At this time, tickets to Old Hats are available only to subscribers of A.C.T.'s 2014-15 season.

Continuing its 2013-14 season, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) travels to 1940s Italy with A.C.T. favorite Marco Barricelli (former Artistic Director of Shakespeare Santa Cruz; Vigil at A.C.T.) and Canada's Stratford Festival star Seana McKenna (Phedre at A.C.T.), who return to lead the cast of Napoli!, Beatrice Basso and Linda Alper's vivid new translation of Eduardo De Filippo's poignant Italian comedy. During the chaotic days of World War II in Naples, an enterprising woman sets up a small-time black market business in the middle of her home to keep her family afloat. She prospers, but maybe a bit too much-compelling her husband to ask hard questions about morality, civility, and the state of their society. In a war-torn culture in which coffee is like liquid gold, De Filippo's masterful blend of humor and pathos tells the story of an unforgettable and wildly entertaining family determined to make a living even if it means profiteering. Directed by A.C.T. Associate Artistic Director Mark Rucker, this production culminates the Year of Italian Culture in the United States.

American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) Artistic Director Carey Perloff announced today four of the seven productions that will comprise the lineup of the company's 48th subscription season, including two of the most acclaimed new works of the last year, a remounting of one of A.C.T.'s biggest hits in an all-new production, as well as a sumptuous production of one of Stephen Sondheim's most rapturous and seductive musicals. In addition, the 2014-15 season will include the inaugural production at the brand-new, state-of-the-art Strand Theater, located in the revitalized Central Market Street Corridor. The additional three productions for the 2014-15 season, as well as the complete show order and performance schedule, will be announced at a later date.

2013 is quickly coming to close, which means it's time for the ever popular year end lists that feature the cream of the crop of the year that was. 2013 was an incredible year for Toronto theatre, with many organizations posting record numbers for attendance and lots of productions quickly becoming critical darlings.